Hi,

I'm considering buying one of two pups from a local breeder, but I'm not sure if they're purebred huskies. Here are pictures of the two puppies, along with pictures the breeder sent me of the parents. I'm not an expert so any input you all might have would be helpful! The black and white pup is pictured there are 3 weeks old, and the lighter coloured one is at 4 weeks.

Thanks!

Odinn, I'm sorry but this is probably going to come out bad.
The only real reason I'd be concerned about whether they were pure bred or not was if I were going to be showing or working them; if you're not then either of them are cute pups who could grow into beautiful dogs.

If the breeder stipulated that those are the parents in the pictures (and I have no reason to believe they are or are not) and you accept that then it's a moot question. If they aren't (or you have reason to think they aren't), then you have to decide whether you want the pups or not based on your own feelings about the pup.

If the breeder is breeding AKC registered pups then you'd have the paperwork on the pup and we all know that AKC paperwork is worth the paper it's printed on - most of the time. You're still accepting the word of the guy from whom you're buying.

If you're buying the pup for a pet then what's the paper mean? "Oh, look I have a pure bred Sibe!", being particularly tacky, I think that says a lot more about you and why you want a pup than anything else.

Either of those pups are cute though the markings will generally lighten in the first couple of years; if I were looking for a companion pup I'd take either of them and not worry about it.

Hi Aljones,

Thanks for the response! Maybe I posed the question the wrong way, I'm not hoping for a purebred for bragging rights. One of the many reasons I decided to get a Siberian husky instead of any other breed, aside from the fact that they're great to be around and they make great exercise buddies, is that they're beautiful animals, with very distinct wolf-like features. The pups shown above have very pudgy muzzles, which I at first attributed to age, but now I'm having second thoughts.

I agree they're both incredibly cute and great-looking dogs, I just want to make sure I end up with a pup that has the features I was initially looking for.

And I'll apologize for the tone of my response, there are so many dogs in rescue because somebody wanted a Husky without having any idea of waht they were getting into.

Now, if you really noticed, everything about those puppies is a bit shorter and pudgier than on a full grown dog - that's normal, it's just the way that mother nature makes them for some reason. The muzzles you see on both pups is completely normal, it'll develop more into the adult version during the first year (mostly the first 4 - 6 months).

My response to your last paragraph - you'll end up with the puppy you deserve; train and love him and he'll be a great dog; let him be "wild" and you'll have a nightmare!

They both look pure, but I have to say, nothing is for sure until they are over 3 months old, with a mixed breed often times you can't tell until the ears should be standing and they aren't and by that time you have fallen in love with the pup.

I am going to be a little harsh here, in that you have 2 pups from different litters and one pic of a mom and one pic of a dad. That sends out BYB signals. A reputable breeder will offer both pics and if you are close enough offer you a visit with their kennel. How much are they asking for each pup? Have they done a phone interview with you? what kind of guarantees are they offering for the pups? A reputable breeder will do these things, a BYB wants to make money and have no concern of the health of their dogs, I would run away and start asking questions here from people who know good breeders. Where are you located? This can help us help you in pointing towards a reputable breeder, who will offer a health guarantee as well as proper temperament of their dogs. You are diving into bad territory and as Al said this is the beginning of the rescue dogs problem. People buy a husky for all the wrong reasons, starting with a BYB. There are countless threads here that tell of owners who end up with either a rescue, or worse someone who got their pup from a BYB, and were verbally(not written) told their dogs are healthy(most are not), their dogs are raised in the house(most are not), their dogs are friendly(how do you know, have you seen their set up?)

I can not stress to you the importance of knowing what you are getting into, purchasing the right, quality dog is like buying a brand new Porsche, not a used Hyundai.

If you need help, please ask, we are here to help you. I also get upset, and here comes my harshness, when people want a husky because they look like a wolf, often times that person has no clue how difficult it is to raise a husky, they buy for the look and think they will learn as they go, until the husky gets out of hand and ends up being a rescue. By the way, wolves do not come in red, they do not have blue eyes, they do not come in all black and white, they do not have bi eyes, the list goes on. I am sorry for being mean, but please do you research on the breed and on reputable breeders.

Don't walk, run. If you want buy a puppy go to a breeder that does their health testing and has proven breeding stock.

Where are you located, I van suggest a few

Thanks all for the responses!

Just to clarify a few things:

1) The two pups are actually from the same litter, with the parents shown being the mom and dad of both pups.
2) I spoke extensively over the phone with the breeder, where I was offered a visit to see the pups and the parents. I was also questioned over my own lifestyle and whether it would suit a husky. Both parents were stated to be in good health, with offers of documentation to prove it. The pups would have a vet check-up to ensure good health before being handed over, and they will also come with a 1 year health guarantee.
3) I'm not going this blindly, I understand that huskies often end up in rescues due to their former owners not doing the proper research beforehand. But I did do my research, I understand that huskies are high maintenance dogs that require lots of care and attention. I would be lying if I said their looks weren't also an important factor in my decision, but it was definitely not the only factor.

The reason for my initial post was that I haven't gone to visit the pups yet (it's a bit far) and I wanted the opinion of those who were more knowledgeable/experienced about huskies before deciding to make the visit, although the breeder hasn't given me any reason to be doubtful. That being said, my cause for concern was I've looked online and seen several husky pups with sharper features at that age (3-4 weeks old) so a few doubts crept into my mind.

Thanks again for all the replies! By the way I'm located up north in Ontario, Canada

I apologize, and thank you for the clarity. My girl is of questionable pureness, and at 5 weeks you really can't tell if she is or isn't, just by looks alone, ears typically stand no later than 6 weeks. The adult pics are hard to determine since they are not standing, the bottom adult looks good, top adult looks questionable to me, however, someone with a better eye could probably discern it better. What type of health tests have they done on the adults? Have they done tests that they have certificates? Reputable breeders will do this.....here is an informative piece I found from a breeder on line, most reputable places will have this info, and all reputable breeders will do these specific tests.....

"Any dog who is part of a breeding program should have passed the required health testing for the breed prior to breeding. For Siberian Huskies, the minimum required health tests are for Eyes (against hereditary disorders such as cataracts, corneal dystrophy, progressive retinal atrophy etc) and Hips (for hip dysplasia). Some breeders also perform additional health tests such as elbows and thyroid. If you are looking to purchase a Siberian Husky puppy, please insist on seeing at least a CERF or SHOR eye certificate and an OFA hip certificate. Health testing is NOT just for show dogs; anyone who is breeding dogs should be health testing their breeding stock, whether they show their dogs or not, in order to ensure that any puppies produced for show OR pet have the highest liklihood of being free of genetic defects which could significantly reduce the dog or puppy's quality of life. Health testing is also important in order to maintain the genetic health of the breed so that future generations of Siberian Huskies will remain as healthy as possible."

These tests are done at age 2, MeganB may be able to explain the specific process better than myself. Here is a pic of Miya at 5 weeks, again her ears didn't stand until 6 weeks, but at this age there is no real way to determine pure bred. also Megan shows, and knows a lot on good breeders, maybe she can point out my girls faults at 5 weeks, but again, I really believe at such a young age it is next to impossible to question purity.

I did want to add, do you know what work their dogs do? As in are they show, or racing? The top adult's eyes seem too round, and the bottom adults ears are set a little wide, so I guess both would be questionable. To me both adults could be pure bred but not of quality pedigree, compare Megan's dogs in her sig to the two you have posted, and there are some things that are slightly different, I know Megan's dogs are from reputable breeders.

Odin, as you can tell, we're all more than a bit gun shy when someone comes in and ask "do you think these are pure bred pups", please stick around and you'll see the reasons why.
I don't know much about the working dogs up around North Bay / Sudbury <Ontario's a good sized province, would you amend your profile for us, please??> area except that they probably have plenty of opportunity to be good working dogs (northern Ontario winters seem pretty harsh to my Texan blood).

Back Yard Breeders (BYB above) are, in particular, a thorn in our sides since they do nothing to improve the breed, in fact their "breeding practices" dilute the good quality of the breed as a whole. If the breeder from whom you're thinking of getting the pups is reputable then you'll have all the documentation in hand when you get the pups to show their parents breeding ( a "family tree" ) and the results of their health tests (parents and pups).

We've seen the heartache of a dog who has "bad hips" at two years or goes blind from juvenile cataracts - we'd like to be able to help you avoid those feelings as much as we and a reputable breeder is able. We're not being harsh without reason.

You seem to have established some rapport with the breeder and from the questions you said he asked you he should be open to accepting questions from you; you should NOT be shy about asking to see the health records and test on the parents nor asking for copies of the health / shot records for the pups.

You've had one case of "I'm not sure." (Do these seem to be purebred?) So there has to be some niggling doubt in your mind. If you continue to have those doubts about the breeder, as others have said, I'd really consider looking elsewhere.

My comment had nothing to do with you as an owner, it has to do with the quality of puppy. Just trust me, there are so many backyard breeders creating dogs with congenital and hereditary issues, I wouldn't want you to end up with a sick dog.

I can personally illustrate Megan, Renee and Al's concern:

Back in the early 1970's, we purchased a 12 week old Siberian puppy complete with papers and a supposed health gaurantee.  We were young and trusting.  Within a week, puppy was sick, diarrhea, lethargic etc.  We immediately took her to a veterinarian.  She had virtually every worm a dog could have and distemper.  The vet tried his best, we were giving her first only boiled hamburger and rice then a special nutrient paste by spoon...she started having seizures.  She was put down on Christmas Eve of that year.  Broke our hearts.  

The vet told us the breeder was a problem and said to wait 6 months, totally disinfect the apartment with bleach and we could get another puppy from a different breeder - he gave us a list.  

I would hate to see anyone go through this experience.  Not only heartbreaking but exceedingly expensive for a young couple, one of whom was in graduate school.

If you feel good about the breeder, ask for vet references.  My mom was a small town, low volume breeder of Old English Sheepdogs.  She did bring, I think, 2 dogs to championship and was committed to responsible breeding and did get OFA clearances on her dogs.  So it is possible this woman is responsible - just check it out thoroughly,

By the way - as cute as husky puppies are, there is nothing to compare with an 8 week old OES